Originally Posted by
corrado33
I'm sorry, but this is stupid. The "ultra light" rack weighs 275 grams. A typical, good quality (I'm using the Salsa Alternator Standard Rear Rack as a comparison) aluminum rack weighs 765 grams. That's a difference of 490 grams, or about 1 pound. Load the pannier up with 15 pounds of stuff and that's only a 6% difference in weight. That's next to nothing, and shrinks to virtually nothing when you think about pannier, rider, and bike weight as well. You could get that by drinking a bit out of your water bottle before you started off. You could save even more if you went to the bathroom before you left. I bet most people couldn't even pick the heavier loaded bike (by 1 lb) in a blind comparison test.
This product is a way to get money out of people with lots of money and no sense. Race bikes are not meant to have weight mounted on a rack. That's part of the reason why there are no eyelets. For the price of this rack you could buy an entire other bike on bikesdirect and not have to spoil your precious carbon fiber bike.
Anybody who uses racks for serious commuting or touring will NOT want a carbon fiber rack, and anybody who likes to ride their bike quickly will not want a rack on their bike, period. Again, a product for people with more money than sense.
Well, I have done both serious touring and commuting on a race geometry bike. And this is what I want for that application because I can take it off easily and I like how the bike rides. I, personally, find it crazy to tour with more than about 25-30 lbs per person. I have done unsupported tours that way on occasion. That level of weight, loaded properly works on that kind of a bike.
Too, many times, I want to have the ability to carry some extra food for a picnic or a jacket each for my wife and I when on a long road bike or a more fun ride. Prior to this, had to use a seat pack (one of the larger ones). Try that on a racing frame and you can feel what it does to bike handling.
And I don't want another bike because I'd have a bigger problem of needing a bigger storage area to store it (that problem is *far* more expensive than a rack). Buying another bike just to have for a rack? That sounds really foolish to me.
Just because you don't see the need or it's not your application doesn't mean it's bad product or that others are foolish (or stupid - your word) for buying it just because their needs don't match yours. Apparently a whole lot of people disagree with you when you look at the success of this on kickstarter.
J.